Battle of Wits
by Kiba Sniper
Summary: Once he found her pulse, he was fine. Psycho/Tomo


Set: Two months before Charmy Rogues.

Characters (C) Respected Owners

_Battle of Wits_

She wanted to rip his throat out. Once again, Tomo the Chameleon was in another pointless fight with long-time frienemy Psycho Pantera the Wolf. Yet he was winning. Not only had their arguement of who was a better fighter had lasted all day from morning to seven at night, Tomo was getting aggrivated. She knew Psycho was the most persistant wolf on Mobius and would do whatever it took to win. Fed up, Tomo crossed her arms and looked away.

Both were in a club with flashing lights surronded them at every millimeter of the room, possibly inducing a few blind people. Niether were refusing to give an inch until Tomo started to walk away from the wolf.

"Hey, where you going?" Psycho demanded, storming after her. "I'm not finished!"

"Look, I'm right. Only dance and techno music should be played at a club," Tomo quipped, facing Psycho pointedly.

Psycho repeated her action. "All types should be played. What are you on?"

Tomo huffed and hurriedly went her away. Psycho crossed his arms, wondering why she was such a little, well, to be blunt, bitch. Psycho sighed to himself, glancing over to the DJ.

The DJ himself was a black coyote wearing a simple pair of jeans. His booth was standing on a long pedestal with security around him. He allowed some hip-hop music to play as he gleefully watched all of the party-goers dance. His brown eyes noticed Psycho staring at him, so he waved him up. The guards blocked him until the DJ told them to back off.

"Fighting with that chameleon girl over there?" the DJ asked, raising a few bars on the

"Yeah, she pisses me off every single time I see her," Psycho groaned, leaning against the railing that divided them against the crowd of dancers.

The DJ guffawed lightly, adjusting more bars as the song changed to another hip-hop song. "Over what?"

"What songs should be played at a club," Psycho replied as the DJ gave him a set of headphones.

Psycho tugged them over his ears snugly, rather disliking the jumpy, light pop music now blaring. Psycho glanced over to the DJ that was happily going about his business and job. The coyote bobbed his head lightly to the music, purposely ignoring Psycho. Being one to never be ignored, Psycho yanked the DJ's ear lightly, calling his occupation.

"So, what's up?" the DJ asked, slightly pertrubed at Psycho's sudden action.

"Answer this Mr. DJ, do you think that all types of music should be played at a club or just certain kinds?"

The DJ paused, deep in thought before smiling. "Well, yeah, whatever makes people satisfied than my job will be done."

"Ha! That's all I needed to know, thanks!" Psycho jeered, waving him off. He leaped down the stairs of the pedestal and looked around for Tomo. He was right, she was wrong. Well, someone agreed with him, and that's he needed to convince her thick skull.

Meanwhile, Tomo was in a secluded bar area of the club. Music was rarely heard at this dreadful corner of the room, and only the sounds of hectic chortles and boozed up conversations elaborated between drunkies. In her hand was a small flask of light beer. She sighed, drinking it until someone crashed into her. Glaring down at the drunken, raver-like cat, she kicked him in the face.

"Don't you know it's rude to bump people?" she snapped, holding a small, concealed kunai in her palm.

The cat groaned, holding his head. Growling, he slurred, "Guirl, ya'll dunno what'chu got yerself inta!"

He raised his fist, aiming for a punch, but his discoordination from his drunkenness easily allowed Tomo to kick him in the face. The chameleon grinned, allowing the cat the slide to his feet. The cat tugged at his bright colored clothes, lips pursed. He suddenly lunged at her, but dashed to the bar table. In his hand was a newly acquired bar bootle. Using Tomo's stunnedness to his advantage, he smashed it other her head. Tomo winced, falling to the floor on contact. She grunted, trying to retalite with her kunai, but she had dropped it. The cat snatched it, slicing her shirt off entirely.

"Get-get off me, you drunken bastard!" Tomo screamed, but her wrists were suddenly snatched by the cat, immobolizing her from any ninjutsu.

Suddenly, a fist had collided with the cat's face. The cat bellowed with pain, collapsing to the ground where he threw up. Tomo glazed her weary eyes at her savior and gasped.

"Psycho, what are you doing?" she asked as he helped her stand.

"Hey, look, I may be a pervert myself, but I can't stand injusticen like that." Psycho gave a soft chuckle. "Man, that sounded corny. Oh, nice boobs." He gave her a nod of approval at her chest.

Tomo slapped him across the face, making him laugh. She slapped him nearly everytime they say each other. Nothing new there. Psycho escorted her out after they collected the cut-in-half shirt. Tomo decided that it was useless and chucked it. Psycho kept staring at her chest, earning him hateful glares and nudges.

"It...was sweet of you to come and save me, but it really wasn't that big of a deal. I had him in the palm on my hand," Tomo protested as Psycho started giggling.

"Yes, he was just about to rape you," Psycho said sarcastically. "Oh, you had him alright!"

"I'll punch in the face!" Tomo shouted, grabbing his arm.

"Do it!" Psycho barked, slapping her arm away.

Both glared at each other, waiting for someone to retaliate. Tomo sighed, staring at her feet. Psycho paused, taking a step back after noticing her sudden emotional change. Psycho pressed a hand to her forehead.

"Hey, you sick or something? You'd slap or hit me right about me now. Not this long wait," Psycho claimed, removing his hand. "You don't have a fever."

Tomo sighed, leaning into him as they walked back to her home at the Dynamite HQ. "Well, as you probably know I've never been good with guys."

Psycho nodded, remaining silent.

"I've had this boyfriend when I was younger, sixteen to be precise. He was a black dog named Dirnt, and he was a few years over than me. Sixteen, and he was, what, twenty?" Tomo paused, pursing her lips. "Yeah, twenty, and he was just wonderful to me. Flowers for no reason, and even the cheesy love song."

_Oh, no,_ Psycho thought, knowing this was going to end up badly.

"But he wasn't faithful to me, and it broke my heart. After that moment that I saw him with some slutty mongoose, I actually killed him and her right there on the spot with my katana." Tomo closed her eyes. "It was at that moment that I would never be tempted like that. Ever again."

Psycho's eyes widened once she completed her tale. The wolf hung his head as they walked. "So, you really killed them?"

She nodded. "I don't regret it," she answered smugly and smirking. "In fact, it felt pretty darn good."

"Ha! You pretty much kill people everyday, so that would be common knowledge."

Silence. Both walked along with eerie silence. Tomo rubbed her head, groaning in sudden pain. Ears twitching, Psycho instantly noticed this. Psycho jabbed a few fingers on her head, making her wince.

"What're you doing?" she snapped, glaring at him.

"You have a bump, and your head is bleeding a little," Psycho observed. "You should be fainting in precisely three...two...one..."

Tomo was about to retort a rather harsh comment about Psycho's mother, until a suuden tidalwave of faintness consumed her. Wobbling from her feet, she cursed at him one final time before falling over. Psycho held out his arm, allowing her to collapse in his arm. Smirking to himself, Psycho heaved Tomo over his shoulder, sauntering back to his home: The Wolf Pack.

The Wolf Pack was a rather kooky group of somewhat delinquent-like wolves, hence the name, in the Great Woods. Psycho dragged an unconsious Tomo in his arms while staring happily at her chest. Poking it lightly, he giggled to himself before his ear twitched. Instictively, he snarled, baring his large fangs at the noise behind him.

"Whoa-ho! Getting sneaky there are we?" a voice claimed. From the shadows of a bush came a bright red wolf. Carnage O'Hirn the Wolf smirked to himself, tugging his jacket. "Getting laid tonight, are we?"

Psycho growled at him. Carnage was the newly promoted leader to the Wolf Pack after the older one passed on. Carnage was actually a combination of two people: a wolf named Alexander O'Hirn Jr and a non-organic creature called a Symbiote. Also, it resulted with him communicating for both by using terms such as We and Us.

"We were actually worried for you," Carnage added, smirking to himself. He paused when he finally saw her shirtless form. Psycho desperately attempted to cover her up by pressing her to his chest. Bursting into laughter, Carnage jeered, "Oh my God, man! Us thinks that you need help."

"Are you referring to me or her?" Psycho quipped. "Hey, can she stay here the night?"

"Went to the club again?"

"...Yes."

Carnage pointed at a hut being Psycho's. "Alrighty than, but make sure the others don't see her. I'll make an exception for you because we actually like you."

Thanking his rather insane leader, Psycho made a quiet dash to his pad. Kicking the door in, he sighed when he found his younger brother, Rojok, sleeping on the couch. Psycho placed Tomo on the floor rather gently, stomped over to his brother, grabbed his burly tail, and threw him out of the house. Still asleep through the entire charade. Carefully, he grabbed Tomo's shoulder and placed her on his couch. Psycho paused for a moment, never having seen her...quiet. It was strange, really, he was used to them fighting over something or her to be nagging. But seeing her now was peaceful, and he couldn't help but stare.

Snapping back to reality, he hurried to his bedroom, taking out a blanket. Wrapping it around her, he tucked the corners in as she gave a slight groan of arousal. Psycho paused, watching her shift position to her side. She was facing him now, and her mouth was a slight gape. Psycho closed his eyes, remembering that she was hit with a glass beer bottle.

Backing up, he observed that she was still bleeding from the head. Strolling to the kitchen, he snagged an assortment of ace bandages, wrapping the around her head. He could still the blood oozing into the bandages. Being a wolf, his nose was sensitive, and the overwhelming stench of blood overpowered him. Giving a slight groan, he succumbed to the smell, lying his head directly on Tomo's stomach.

The next morning, Psycho was lucky enough to wake up first. Stretching, he found Tomo in the same position as he left her. Scratching his head, he recalled last night's events as he yawned. Psycho sniffed the air, happy that the putrid stank of crusted blood was in the air instead of the actual liquid form.

Waiting a few more hours after breakfast, she still didn't awaken. It was finally time to be concerned. Nervously, Psycho hesitantly placed a finger around her neck. A beat. Another. He sighed, hearing the pulse slowly get even.

A knock on the door dragged him out of his thoughts. Grumbling to himself, he kicked the door straight down, landing on a green snout. Someone laughed and jeered. "What do you guys want? I'm pretty edgy at the moment," Psycho snapped, glaring at the trio of anthros before him.

He recognized them as the Chaotix Detective Agency. Carnage hired them for a job one time to get them a girlfriend, and they suceeded with some girl named Cameo. The first one and oldest was Vector the Crocodile, proud and having a forced smile on his fast from getting kicked with the door. The second and middle man was Espio the Chameleon looking stoic and civilized, but Psycho could tell that he was giggling on the inside from having his boss be injured. The last one, however, Psycho took a petite liking too: Charmy Bee, the youngest and laughing his little stinger off at Vector's dismay.

Espio sighed, closing his eyes. "You see, Carnage has hired us for another mission to retrieve a stolen gem, and the gang is a group of rebelling wolves from this pack lead by a man named Sarge. Carnage has ordered us to drag you along."

"Why?"

Charmy grinned, poking the wolf's nose. "'Cause he says that ya got that sharpest nose in the entire world!" Charmy's eyes widened in anticipation as he leaned closer. "That true?"

"Of course it is, squirt!" Psycho jeered back, rubbing the bee's helmet. A small smirk formed in his face when Charmy's face illuminated with eagerness. "Out of all the wolves, my nose is the best that there ever is!"

"Wow, you're sooo cool, Psycho!"

Tomo groaned from the sudden noise. Her eyes fluttered as she started to awaken. Voices were conversing somewhere. Nearby from what the ringing in her head told her. Struggling to sit up, she felt a warmth on her body: a blanket. Tomo gently felt the cotton fabric before cocking her head slightly at the voices. She made out Psycho, but the other three were rather unfamiliar.

Psycho glanced back at her and grinned. "Ah, sleeping beauty finally woke up!"

"Shut up, Psycho," she growled.

"Hey, come on, I have guests," he quipped back, gesturing to the three.

"YOU!" Espio shrieked, leaping a full foot into the air.

Tomo squinted her eyes at him before realizing she had come face to face with her brother. The one who destroyed her dreams. The one who made her an outcast. Tomo clenced her fist, snatching a small shuriken from her back pocket.

Espio took a small step back. "Just what are you doing in Psycho's abode?"

"For you information, little brother-" Espio cringed at the word "little"- "Psycho and I happen to be friends."

Espio reeled back for a moment, allowing the information to sink in his head. Vector noticed that Psycho's ears dropped slightly, a mere centimeter. The light green reptile chuckled behind his gloved hand while Charmy just cocked his head as he was once again confused at the situation.

"Wow, Espio," the bee mused aloud with a small smile as he fluttered over to Tomo. "I had no idea you had a sister! Hiya, I'm Charmy!"

Bewildered at the bee's action, Tomo shook his hand, replying awkwardly, "Um, the pleasure is yours."

Clearing his throat, Vector grabbed Tomo's other hand and wildly shook it. "Hey, there! My name's Vector the Crocodile, leader of the Chaotix Detective Agency! The CDA for short. I believe you've heard of us."

Tomo shook her head.

His snout dropped wide open. Vector gaped at her before stamping his foot angrily against the floor. Charmy guffawed at Vector's antics before realizing the crocodile was glaring at him. Gulping, Charmy flew out the opened door while the enraged Vector chased him around the Wolf Pack. Until both were hit with shoes from Carnage.

"We are trying to sleep!" Carnage bellowed, another shoe in hand. "Shut up!"

"Where do you get those shoes?!" Vector cried as he and Charmy ran away from the insane wolf.

Espio, Tomo and Psycho gazed at them from the opened door. Psycho wondered how badly those two were going to get injured. Suddenly, he cringed when a fist went flying across is fist and at Espio's. Tomo kept her fist still while Espio blocked it with his open palm. Espio unleashed a kick that Psycho caught, and the wolf managed to chomp Tomo's other fist.

Tomo yelped with pain, releasing herself from the wolf and chameleon. "Stop interferring, Psycho! I vowed to kill Espio!" she shrieked, pulling out a kunai.

Espio copied her motion. "Than, so be it, sister."

"Cut it out!" Psycho shouted as the two siblings went at it. "Ugh, nobody listens to me..." Psycho ran into the kitchen while curses, insults, and clanks of kunai and shuriken peltered his living room. Hearing Espio comment about Tomo's bra size made his giggle lightly, but that's when he heard lots of valuable items crashing. Psycho ran back in with a fire hose, spraying the siblings.

Both crashed against the wall as the high-pressured water gushed on them. Smirking, Psycho slowly turned the power off, letting them recover. Tomo groaned, holding her head as the water slipped off her body. Psycho grinned as he heard her curse to herself in a slight daze. Espio had his tongue rolling out of his mouth and onto the floor, clearly unconsious.

Tomo groaned as Psycho snapped his fingers in front of her face. She punched him square in the jaw, hurtling him to the floor. Tomo hovered over him, hose in hand as she downed him. Psycho sputtered as he was splattered across the floor and into the yard. Tomo stopped the hose, hand on hip. Psycho moaned, hating his now wet fur. Shaking himself dry, he smiled when he found Tomo chortling.

"Hey, thanks for cleaning me up last night," Tomo stated softly, helping him to his feet. "With the blanket and bandages, I mean."

"Huh? Oh that. It was no big deal. You just had me going there for a second because I thought you had actually stopped breathing for a time," Psycho babbled, blushing.

Tomo smirked down at him, as she knew everything. World revolving around her. Tomo wrapped both of her arms around his neck before pecking his forehead. Flustered, Psycho paused a moment when Tomo turned away.

"You have to go, don't you?" she asked. "With the Chaotix, I mean."

Psycho gave a quick nod.

"I suppose I should get going, as well. Nack, Bean, and Bark are probably worried." Tomo shrugged her shoulders, ready to perform a jutsu. "I guess I'll see you whenever I can."

Psycho snagged her shoulder, dragging her back. She flinched, seeing Psycho's sterile, sharp teeth. "Huh, so you honestly believe that you can get away with kissing my forehead and just bail?" Psycho placed a finger under her chin, lifting it. He gently kissed her on her lips the second Espio woke up and came out of the house to see. Psycho pulled away, waving.

Tomo touched her lip with her finger as Espio just garbled and fainted again. Psycho yanked Espio's arm over his shoulder and grinned. Tomo smiled lightly, a faction she hadn't done for a long time. Just as Psycho was about to leave, Tomo opened her mouth.

"Hey, let's meet up again," she said, back facing him.

Psycho didn't turn around and smirked. "Count on it."


End file.
